Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueprimver’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueprimver’, characterized by its compact, upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong lateral branches; early flowering habit; inflorescences with large red-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEPRIMVER’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueprimver’. Plants of the newPoinsettia have not been made available publicly nor sold for more thanone year prior to the filing of this application.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create compact Poinsettia plants with attractiveflower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2011 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selectionof Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-03-019, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofEuphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E95-0596-012, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Poinsettia plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from withinthe progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouseenvironment in Rheinberg, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germanyhas shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however,any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueprimver’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dueprimver’ as a new and distinct Poinsettiaplant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and        uniformly mounding plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Strong lateral branches.    -   4. Early flowering habit.    -   5. Inflorescences with large red-colored flower bracts.    -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Poinsettia are darker green in        color than leaves of plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower and the female parent        selection differ in flower bract color as plants of the female        parent selection have bright red-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the maleparent selection in flower bract texture as plants of the new Poinsettiahave smoother flower bracts than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ‘Fiscor’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of thenew Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘Fiscor’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than and not        as vigorous as plants of ‘Fiscor’.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more upright than plants of        ‘Fiscor’.    -   3. Lateral branches of plants of the new Poinsettia were thicker        and darker green in color than lateral branches of plants of        ‘Fiscor’.    -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger inflorescences than        plants of ‘Fiscor’.    -   5. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia were narrower        and darker red in color than flower bracts of plants of        ‘Fiscor’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Dueprimver’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thesummer in a glass-covered greenhouse and under cultural practicestypical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production ofthe plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levelsaveraged 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 12-cm containers andwere pinched one time about three weeks after planting the cuttings. Twoweeks after pinching, the photoinductive treatments (long nyctoperiods)were initiated. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph and thedetailed description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Dueprimver’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-03-019, not            patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E95-0596-012,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit and form.—Compact, upright to somewhat outwardly            spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; inverted            triangle, mounding; inflorescences with large flower bracts            positioned above the foliar plane; moderately vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 25.3 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 41.1 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching habit            with about six lateral branches developing after pinching.            Length: About 15.8 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode            length: About 1.7 cm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 10.4 cm. Width: About 5.7 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Lobed; dentate. Venation            pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.            Texture, lower surface: Rugose, glabrous. Color: Developing            leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A. Developing leaves,            lower surface: Close to 139B. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Close to 139A; venation, close to 187A. Fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation,            close to 46A. Petioles: Length: About 5.7 cm. Diameter:            About 2.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 187B. Color, lower            surface: Close to 187C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with flower bracts subtending the            cyathia; one inflorescence per lateral branch with            inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliar plane.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the            autumn and winter under long nyctoperiod conditions;            inflorescence initiation and development can be induced            under artificial long nyctoperiod conditions; early            flowering habit, response time is about eight weeks.        -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production            longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good            substance and bract color for about twelve weeks under            interior conditions.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 21.6 cm. Height (depth):            About 4.6 cm.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 14. Length:            About 9.9 cm. Width: About 6.2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Texture, upper            surface: Glabrous; smooth, Texture, lower surface: Glabrous;            rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and            transitional bracts, upper surface: Close to 46B. Developing            and transitional bracts, lower surface: Close to 46C. Fully            developed bracts, upper surface: Close to 46C; venation,            close to 46C; color does not change with development. Fully            developed bracts, lower surface: Close to 46D; venation,            close to 46D; color does not change with development. Bract            petioles: Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 53A.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About ten. Length: About 9 mm.            Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and outer            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature and mature,            inner and outer surfaces: Close to 144B to 144C. Nectaries:            Quantity per cyathium: One. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter:            About 1 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and outer surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature and mature: Inner surface:            Close to 17C. Outer surface: Close to 17C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            145A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About            ten. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to            59A. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther            color: Close to 187A to 187B. Amount of pollen: Abundant.            Pollen color: Close to 7A. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium:            One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Style length: About 2 mm.            Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma            color: Close to 59A to 59B. Ovary color: Close to 144A.            Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Poinsettia.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Poinsettia plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about    40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueprimver’as illustrated and described.